Fifty retellings from Plutarch's Lives skillfully adapted for children. Includes the conquests of Alexander the Great, how Demosthenes became an orator, the conspiracy against Caesar, the life of Lycurgus the law-giver of Sparta, the exploits of Pyrrhus and others. Ages 10-14

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FLAMININUS

FROM his boyhood Flamininus was trained to the use of
arms, because Rome was engaged in a number of wars, and
as her young men grew up there was no lack of
opportunity to make themselves famous. Therefore at a
very early age they prepared themselves to become
soldiers.

[303] Titus Quintius Flamininus was only twenty years old
when he was appointed tribune under the consul,
Marcellus, in the war with Hannibal. Marcellus, as we
have related in his life, was taken in an ambuscade and
slain. Later, when Tarentum was recaptured by the
Romans, Flamininus was appointed governor, and proved
that he was quite as well able to fill such a post as
he was to command an army. So great was the confidence
he had in himself that he determined to run for the
consulship without going through the stages of prætor
and ædile as other men did.

It was an unheard-of thing for so young a person to aim
at the highest office in the state, particularly as he
had had no experience in public affairs; so some of the
tribunes opposed him; but the senate left the matter to
the voice of the people, and Flamininus was elected. He
was not quite thirty years of age when this occurred.

Sextus Ælius was chosen for consul also. When the lots
were cast to see what provinces each should go to
fight, that of the Macedonians fell to Flamininus; and
it was fortunate for the Romans that such was the case,
because that department needed a general who was not
violent, and Flamininus was remarkably gentle.

Up to that period the Greeks and the Romans knew little
about each other, and it was important that the
beginning of their intercourse should be agreeable if
it was to be lasting. Philip was king of Macedon, and
received his supplies from his own country for a war
with the Romans; but should the contest last very long,
he would have to depend on Greece for a great many
things. Therefore the Romans felt the necessity of
gaining the Greeks over to their side, so that they
would not be friendly to Philip. In order to do this
they had to have a general who was kind, gentle,
courteous, pleasant in his bearing towards others,
and, above all, perfectly just. Titus Flamininus
combined all these qualities, and was, therefore, as a
foreigner, more likely to gain authority over the
Greeks than if he had been rash and ferocious.

No sooner was he elected consul than, feeling anxious
to distinguish himself, Flamininus requested the
senate to place his brother Lucius in command of the
navy, and, selecting three thousand of the troops that
had lately won glorious victories under Scipio, he
crossed the sea and went to Epirus. His army encamped
near the
[304] river Apsus, and, after examining the face of the
country, he determined to make his way to the tops of
the neighboring mountains. But the enemy held that
position, and showered down their arrows from all
quarters on the Romans; many were killed on both sides,
but nothing was decided.

Meanwhile, some shepherds went to Titus and told him of
a winding road by which they promised to lead him to
the top of the mountain in three days if he would take
them for guides. He believed them, and sent a tribune
with four thousand foot and three hundred horse
soldiers, that they were to lead. They marched only at
night, and lay still in the hollows of the woods during
the day, so that the enemy could not discover them,
while Flamininus kept up some slight skirmishing to
divert attention from them. Early on the day when he
expected them to reach the top of the heights he drew
out all his forces, and, dividing them into three
parts, himself led the van along the narrowest path by
the side of the river. The Macedonians had the best
position, but although they harassed the Romans with
their darts they did not subdue them.

When day dawned, there arose a smoke resembling the
mist one sees about the tops of hills. As it was behind
the enemy, they did not observe it, but it was the
signal for which the Romans had been watching, and as
it increased and mounted higher and higher they knew
that it came from the fires their friends had lighted.
Loud shouts rent the air as with renewed vigor they
charged the Macedonians. The shouts were re-echoed
from the tops of the mountains, and then the enemy
fled. It was impossible to pursue them because of the
steep ascent, but the Romans pillaged their camp,
seized all the money and slaves, and became masters of
the pass.

The Roman army was then led through Epirus, with so
much order and discipline that nobody's property was
injured. Though far from his ships and unable to
procure the monthly allowance, Flamininus gave his men
strict charge to buy all they required, and to plunder
no part of the country. Now, this behavior formed such
a contrast to that of the Macedonians, who on entering
Thessaly had compelled the people to take shelter in
the mountains, burnt their houses, and carried off all
they could lay hands on, that several Greek tribes
threw open their gates to the Romans, while
[305] others actually sent for Flamininus and put themselves
under his protection.

They had been told by the Macedonians that the Roman
invader led an army of barbarians ready to kill and
destroy at every turn, and when they beheld a young man
of mild, attractive manners, who spoke Greek well and
desired to be just and humane towards them, they were
greatly pleased with him, and began to believe that in
him they might find the protector of their liberty. And
they were right; for when Philip offered to make terms
of peace, and Flamininus agreed on condition that the
Macedonian troops were withdrawn and the Grecians left
in freedom, it was plain that the Romans had come not
to oppose the Greeks, but to fight for them against the
Macedonians.

As Flamininus marched into Bœotia, the chief men of
Thebes came out to meet him and show him honor. They
were allied to the Macedonians, but the Roman general
did not leave until he had talked them over to his side
and made a formal league with them.

He next marched into Thessaly to continue the war with
Philip. He had twenty-six thousand men in his army, of
which the Ætolians furnished six thousand foot and
three hundred horse; but Philip had quite as many, and
each general was ambitious of the fame that he would
secure to himself if he defeated the other. Both
harangued their men just before going into battle,
according to custom, and urged them to feats of
courage, telling them that their foe was worthy of
their steel, and the country in which they were
fighting the most glorious spot in the world for
victory.

The Macedonians, who always fought in a phalanx, which
they formed by locking their shields together, made a
charge with their projected spears that no army could
withstand. The strength of such a phalanx was
tremendous as long as it remained unbroken, but if the
men got separated, and had to fight hand-to-hand with
their heavy, unwieldy armor, they were at a great
disadvantage. So at their first charge the Romans gave
ground, but Flamininus attacked the enemy from the
other side, broke the phalanx, and created so much
confusion that they threw down their arms and fled. No
less than eight thousand of their number were slain,
and five thousand were taken prisoners. Philip himself
would not have
[306] escaped had the Ætolians done their duty, but while the
Romans went in pursuit of the enemy they stayed behind
to plunder the camp. When the Romans got back and found
nothing left for them they were very angry, and the ill
feeling was greatly increased when the Ætolians claimed
the victory, and declared that the Romans would have
been put to flight if their cavalry had not protected
them.

Flamininus, who particularly desired the praises of
Greece, determined after that to manage everything by
himself and pay no attention to the Ætolians. But they
would not submit to being slighted, and out of revenge
circulated a report that Flamininus was on the point of
making peace with Philip at a time when he had it in
his power to destroy his empire. Flamininus proved that
this was not the case later, when he treated with
Philip in person, for he granted him his kingdom only
on condition that he would give up all claim to Greece
and pay a large fine. Then all his ships, except ten,
were taken from him, and his son, Demetrius, was sent
to Rome as hostage.

Thus Flamininus put an end to the war. When the
Isthmian games were celebrated, and an immense crowd
had assembled to witness the exercises, a herald
appeared in the arena and sounded a trumpet. All
present were silent, and wondered what this could mean.
They had not long to wait, for a crier proclaimed that
the Roman senate and Titus Quintius Flamininus, the
general and proconsul, having vanquished King Philip
and the Macedonians, restored their lands, laws, and
liberties to the Corinthians, Locrians, Phocians,
Eubœans, Achæans, Magnesians, Thessalians, and
Perrhæbians.

It was long since Greece had known peace, and the
shouts of joy that went up as soon as the people had
recovered from their astonishment were heard many miles
away. If Flamininus had not hidden himself when he saw
the crowd rushing towards him, he would certainly have
been suffocated by their embraces, for they were beside
themselves with delight, and declared again and again
that none of their own statesmen had ever done so much
for them as this foreigner, who had relieved Greece
from her greatest distress and restored her liberty.

It may well be believed that great honors and gifts
were heaped
[307] upon Flamininus wherever he went, but there was only
one present
upon which he set real value, and that was made by the
Achæans in this manner. The Romans who, in the war with
Hannibal, had the misfortune to be captured, had been
sold here and there into slavery. There were twelve
hundred of them in Greece, and when in the Roman army
they now beheld their brothers, sons, and
acquaintances free men and conquerors while they were
slaves and captives, their position became unbearable.
Flamininus grieved for them, but he was too honest to
take them from their masters. The Achæans bought them
at five pounds a man, and, just as Flamininus was going
to set sail, marched them in a body to the sea-shore
and presented them to him. At that moment the Roman
general felt fully repaid for his glorious services,
and declared the return of his countrymen the most
blessed part of his victory.

At his triumph the liberated slaves followed his
chariot, each wearing a cap of liberty. To add to the
splendor of this display, there were Grecian helmets,
Macedonian targets, and long spears borne in procession
through the city, besides thousands of pounds of
massive gold and vast sums of coined money. Afterwards,
Flamininus used his influence to have the hostage son
of Philip returned to him.

There were more wars in Greece, beginning with an
attack made by Antiochus, not long after peace had been
made with the Macedonians. Flamininus went there
again, added to the number of his achievements, and did
not return to Rome until Greece was rid of her enemies
and all her colonies were reconciled to one another.

Titus Flamininus was then raised to the very highest
office in Rome, that of censor. His associate was the
son of Marcellus, who had been consul five times. While
Flamininus was censor, his brother Lucius, whom we have
mentioned as being placed in command of the navy when
Titus went to Epirus, was guilty of a shameful deed. He
had a favorite boy, who went with him everywhere and
loved him extremely. One day, when Lucius was drinking
a little too freely, the boy said to him, "I love you,
sir, so dearly that, wishing to please you, I came away
from the show without seeing the gladiators, though I
never saw a man killed in my life."

[308] Lucius was delighted with the flattery, and replied,
"Let not that trouble you, for you shall be gratified."
He then ordered a convict to be brought from prison,
and, having summoned an executioner, had him strike
off the man's head in the very room where he was
carousing.

When Marcus Cato became censor, he examined into the
lives of the senators, which was part of his duty, and
expelled Lucius for this shameful piece of cruelty.

Titus felt the disgrace so keenly that, appearing with
his brother before an assembly of the people, he
demanded that Cato should give his reason for casting a
stain upon an honorable family. Thereupon Cato related
all the details of the execution of the poor convict in
the midst of a feast, and challenged Lucius to deny it
if he could. Lucius was silent, and the censor was
applauded for his justice.

Flamininus did not show his usual good sense on this
occasion, for he was very indignant, and took sides
with Cato's enemies in opposing all he said and did in
the senate. Yet Cato had done no more nor less than his
duty in disgracing a man too unworthy to be defended
even by a brother.

Flamininus was much blamed for this, as well as for
another action of his, prompted by desire for increase
of fame. It was against Hannibal, the Carthaginian
general.

Hannibal had been obliged to fly from his country and
seek refuge here and there until, at last, worn out
with old age and grief, he went to Bithynia, and put
himself under the protection of Prusias, the king. The
Romans knew perfectly well where he was, but saw no
reason for interfering with the now harmless,
unfortunate old man. But Flamininus was sent by the
senate on an errand to Prusias, and, when he beheld
Hannibal at court, declared that he could not stand
seeing him alive. Prusias begged him not to trouble the
old warrior, who was under the sanction of his
hospitality, but Titus would not listen to him.

Hannibal had from the first felt little confidence in
Prusias, and so he had ordered seven underground
passages to be dug from his house, all running in
different directions, and not visible above ground.
When he heard that Flamininus was bent on taking his
life he tried to escape through these passages, but
found them
[309] guarded by the king's soldiers. He then knew that he
had nothing to hope for, but was determined that
Flamininus should not have the glory of killing him. So
mixing a cup of poison, that he always kept in case of
need, he took it in his hand and said, "Let us deliver
the Romans from their cares and anxieties, since they
think it too tedious and dangerous to wait for the
death of a poor, hated, old man. Titus shall not have a
conquest worth envying." He drank the dose, and died
before Flamininus saw him again.

Some historians say that Flamininus was sent by the
senate of Rome to kill Hannibal, because they felt that
while a warrior who hated them as he did remained on
earth they were in great danger. This is probable; for
so generous and humane a man as Titus Flamininus would
scarcely have been guilty of such a cruel deed; he was
hasty and passionate, but he never nursed a feeling of
hatred towards any one.

No further political or military acts of Flamininus are
recorded, and he died in peace.

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